I put my stuff in a storage bin at U-Store It, U-Lock It in Cleveland in September. In November, I found my lock gone and a padlock in its place. At first, the manager said I had missed payments, but when I showed her my receipts, she said she'd try to figure out what was going on. I can't get any more answers. Yesterday, I got a letter from the company that said I owe $109.26. I owe nothing, and I can prove it.

--Johnny Floyd, Cleveland

Proof is everything.

Your account has been corrected to show your payments are current – thanks to your excellent record-keeping.

I didn't have much luck calling the U-Store It office, so I tracked owner Valerie Kilbane down at home.

She at first insisted that you were behind, although she said the company had some internal communications problems.

For example, she didn't have a copy of your signed contract. Further, she said, her records showed that out of four payments, you missed two -- including the deposit and first month's rent, which you got a receipt for when you paid in cash.

You, however, had documented everything. And when the facility manager promised you a $10 credit that you never received, you got the promise in writing.

Your records clearly showed your account had a $0 balance.

"I apologize," Kilbane said as soon as I emailed the documents. "I will make things right with him."

She called you immediately to assure you she was correcting the account and to apologize again for the mix-up. She followed up with a letter verifying that you were paid in full – a document you can add to your immaculate records.

In your conversation with Kilbane, you asked for reimbursement for the lock the company cut off your storage unit.

Kilbane agreed.

You told her the price of the lock and told her that, if she needed it, you had the receipt.

Her response: "I'm sure you do."

Protecting stored possessions

Self-storage units can be handy places to tuck possessions short-term, but if you fall behind on payments, you risk losing your possessions.

In general:

• Avoid storing items that you couldn't bear the thought of losing or that are irreplaceable -- money, expensive or heirloom jewelry, antiques or items that carry great sentimental value.

• Mark your calendar when payments are due. It's easy to lose track if you prepay months at a time.

• Keep your contract and receipts for all payments.

• Make sure that if you move, the facility has your current address.

If you fall behind, Ohio law requires the storage facility's owner to notify you if he intends to auction off the unit's contents to collect back rent. He must tell you when and where the sale will take place and give you at least 10 days to pay up.

Once that deadline expires, the owners have to run newspaper ads with a notice of the sale.

Renters have until the sale starts to pay up and avoid having their possessions auctioned.

The owner can deduct what he's owed from the sale's proceeds, but he has to send you any leftover money. If the check can't be delivered, the owner has to hold the funds for you for two years. After that, it goes to the state's unclaimed funds division.

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